Krab, Avocado and Grapefruit Salad

OK, I know what you’re thinking: How did he misspell crab? I didn’t! I really truly mean krab, the super-tasty imitation crabmeat you may know best as the star of the California roll. It’s made from real fish and sold in either the deli or fish section of your supermarket, so I think it’s a great ingredient to play around with. Not to mention that it’s inexpensive and easy to use (no picking through crab shells to extract the meat). This salad with juicy grapefruit, fruity olive oil, and creamy avocado will make you a krab konvert.

Ingredients

3 ruby red grapefruits

8 ounces krab (aka imitation crabmeat) chunks

2 Hass avocados, pitted, peeled, and cut into bite-size pieces

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup minced fresh chives

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Using a knife, cut off the top and bottom ends of one grapefruit. Set the grapefruit on one of the cut sides to balance it and, working from the top to the bottom, cut off the peel and all of the bitter white pith. Working over a bowl, cut in between the membranes (the white lines that run vertically through the fruit) to release the sections and let them fall into the bowl. Squeeze the pulp that’s left after you’ve cut out all the sections into a small bowl to release the juice; you should get about 3 tablespoons from the pulp of 1 grapefruit. Repeat with the remaining grapefruit. Reserve 1/4 cup of the grapefruit juice and save the rest for another use (or drink it!).

On plates or a platter, layer the krab, grapefruit sections, and avocados. Drizzle with the grapefruit juice and olive oil. Sprinkle the chives on top, then season with salt and pepper and serve.

Makes ahead: You can easily assemble this salad a few hours ahead. Add the juice, olive oil, chives, salt, and pepper just before serving to prevent the citrus from leaching its juices.